1. Field
The present invention relates to systems and methods for estimating road mu and adjusting tractive and/or drive force applied to one or more wheels of a vehicle to prevent wheel slip.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional traction control management system typically employ power reduction schemes that arbitrarily reduce power and associated drive force to the wheels when they are activated by a user or when a wheel spin condition is detected. For example, many automobiles today include a snow mode. Snow mode is accomplished by manually tuning transmission shifts to dampen or detune the aggressiveness of an engine/transmission. By simply cutting the power applied to the wheels, snow mode is able to enable an automobile to achieve better traction on slippery surfaces such as snow and ice.
Modern automobiles may also employ slightly more advanced systems. For example, some automobiles include traction control systems. These systems are configured to detect a wheel spin or wheel slip event and cut a set amount of power to the spinning/slipping wheel. While, automobiles with a snow mode or a traction control system provide safer driving situations, these modes or systems artificially manage the power applied to the wheels. Put another way, these modes or systems do not determine what drive force should be applied; rather, they automatically reduce the drive force applied when selected or when a wheel spin event is detected.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods that that are capable of detecting wheel spin and/or a slip event, determining appropriate drive force, and adjusting the automobiles operating to achieve the appropriate drive force during operation.